TOTA Awards Five with Interdisclipinary Award

Five Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Allied Health Sciences faculty members were recognized at the Texas Occupational Therapy Association’s (TOTA) annual conference in Sugar Land, Texas in November for their success in projects related to allied health interdisciplinary therapy.

Dawndra Sechrist, Ph.D., OTR, assistant professor and program director of occupational therapy, Cynthia Tiongco, MOT, OTR, assistant professor of occupational therapy, Carolyn Perry, M.S., CCC-SLPI, assistant professor of speech and hearing sciences, Heather Carr, M.S., instructor of speech-language pathology, and Brittany Hall, M.S., CCC-SLPI, instructor of speech and hearing sciences, comprised the group that was assessed according to the following team characteristics:

• Team participation in community projects that deeply enrich the lives of persons served
• Team participation in patient-advocacy activities
• Team involvement in legislative activities to improve the quality of life of persons served by the profession
• Team participation in joint research efforts
• Team participation in non-traditional program

The nomination included a written statement to TOTA to describe how the team had demonstrated success in some or all of the assessment criteria.

TTUHSC School of Allied Health Sciences strives to develop interdisciplinary teamwork within its 19 distinct degree programs. The recognition of TTUHSC School of Allied Health Sciences faculty at the TOTA conference indicates growing success in that goal.

“Our faculty have worked very hard to develop a culture and practice of interdisciplinary education,” said Robin Satterwhite, Ed.D., FACHE, dean of the School of Allied Health Sciences.  “This is an excellent example of the successes of interdisciplinary education within our school.”

The team was nominated for its work in two allied health programs, Ready Raiders and Tech Tykes. These programs are both summer development courses for 3 to 6-year old children. Camps like Ready Raiders and Tech Tykes create opportunities for occupational therapists and speech therapists to work together to create a measurable impact in the community.